The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-07-18
THE ENTERPRISE AND BOXER.
Omissions, Commissions and Expia-
nations.
To the Edito,. of the Press

To the Editor Of the Press:
Neither Of the three recent writers in your
columns on the career of the above noted
vessels mention the most important capture
by the Enterprise, except perhaps the Boxer.
She was fitted out and used in two of the
most desperate expeditions ever undertaken
by the officers and men of our navy. When
the Enterprise was new, she was rugged as
top-gallant-sail schooner. Her first service
was in the war with Tripoli. Her command
er was Lieutenant Sterrett, then in the squad
ron with three frigates, under Commodore
Dale In 1901. She was also In the squadron
under Commodore Morris, which was in the
Mediterranean in 1902.
The enterprise, under Lieutenant Decatur
did good service in Commodore Preble's
squadron in 1903, on the coast of Barbary.
On the 23d of December, she captured Trip
olitan ketch called the Mastico, bound to
Constantinople with a present of female
slaves for the Sultan. The ketch was taken
by Commodore Preble into Syracuse, where
she was appraised, armed and fitted out She
was then taken into the service under the
name OF the Intrepid. The ketches of the
Barbary States were described to me by the
late Admiral George III. Preble, who had
served In the Mediterranean squadron, as of
about one hundred and fifty tons, with two
masts, the mortar or shell gun occupying the
usual place of the foremost In common
schooner.
Lieutenant Decatur, of the Enterprise,
with seventy-four determined young men of
the fleet, was permitted to fit out the Intrep-
Id to go in and destroy the frigate Philadel-
phia, which had been captured by the Trip
olitans while fast on rock. and taken into
the harbor
l.n ~ IN
1904, Decatur in the Intrepid, with the most
of his men concealed below, sailed boldly
into the harb0r by moonlight and made fast
to the Philadelphia, pretending to have lost
his anchors in the late gale. Now the gallant
Decatur called up his men and boarded the
frigate. All the Tripolitans were soon killed
or driven into the sea; the frigate was set on
fire and destroyed. The light revealed the
presence Of the Intrepid, and she became
target for the guns of the castle. ali the bat
teries and those of two corsairs near. The
guns of the burning frigate were discharged
by heat, which increased the peril of the
Intrepid, which used sweeps in her escape,
IN which she was assisted by she boats of the
brig Syren, which was waiting the result at
the mouth of the harbor. Not one of De-
caturs men was killed and only four wound
ed The Intrepid participated in the bonn
bardment OF Tripoli in August. In Septem-
Der she was converted into floating mine
for the purpose, OF destroying the enemy's
OF gunpowder were placed In a room below,
with other destructive munitions above it,
This was the famous fre-ship which entered
the harbor of Tripoli on the night of Sep
TENDER 4th. 1904, manned by Captain Somers,
Lieutenant Henry Wadwt : of Portland,
and ten seamen.. Nothing 9nown of the
cause of the explosion VIII occurred to the
vessel, but, from the char ser of the daring
volunteers, 1t was SUPPOSE that they lighted
the powder to prevent being made prisoners.
nj RI of II H..
tenant Wadworth stands near the monu-
ments to the commanders of the Enterprise
/ and Boxer.
The name of the island mentioned by your
correspondent +; Il. J. as the scene of the
wreck of the Enterprise. l suppose was
wrongly printed. In the accounts l have
seen It Is given as the island of Little Cur
acoa." The Dutch governor offered every
assistance, and everything movable on board
including the guns were saved, and they
may be in existence now.
OThat the battery of the Boxer was superb
or to that of the Enterprise in the fight, we
have good evidence in District Attorney ST.
las Lees petition to the court to have the
Boxer libeled. He said .'the Enterprise did
seize, capture and take the said brig Of war
Boxer, being vessel of force superior in
size, weight of metal. as ,celt as in number
OF guns. Judge David Sewell who held the
court at York, adjourned from Wiscasset,)
IN his decree endorses the assertion of the
District Attorney in these words, sit now
appearing that the facts alleged in the libel
are true" The confusion in the different
statements about the armament of the Box
er's battery was undoubtedly caused by the
prise and the brig-of-war Rattlesnake. In
the auctioneer's account of sales, ARTICLES
taken" from the above vessels to the amount
OF nearly $1,000 are mentioned without items.
The two briggs named arrived here from
Portsmouth on the 10th of October. Two
days before the sale, presumably to receive
their articles" The Boxer was new yes
sci, and of course her guns were not old.
The well-known demand for cannon to arm
war would prevent guns that had stood the
lasts of the British dock-yards SO recently
from lying about unused. or be set up at
street corners for posts, unless they We're in
some way disabled. w. G.
,July fifth